The inaugural edition of the Asian Youth Athletic Championships will be hosted in Doha in 2015. The news, reported by the Gulf Times, was announced at the 78th council meeting of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) in Doha.
Youth Athletics Championships are open to athletes aged 17 or under, unlike Junior Athletics Championships, which are open to participants aged 19 or younger.
“Long-term planning and grass-root level development should be our focus and we need to find ways to encourage the youth. That’s why we have decided to have an Asian Youth Athletic Championships next year,” AAA President General Dahlan Jumaan al-Hamad told reporters at the close of the event on Sunday.
The dates of the event have yet to be determined but it is likely to be hosted in May or June, as the IAAF World Athletics Championships take place in Beijing from 22-30 August. “It would be held before the World Championships so as to give our athletes the incentive to qualify,” Dahlan said.
The aim of the Asian Youth Athletics Championships is to boost the sport in the continent.
“Asia should change. We need to improve. We need to raise our level. The continent should be at the pinnacle of everything. We are working towards it, and it involves a lot of hard work and commitment. But we are confident we shall reach there,” said Dahlan.
In addition to the leaders of AAA member federations, the meeting was attended by former pole vault world champion and IAAF Vice-President Sergei Bubka.
It was also announced that selection trials for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) would be held in the Thailand capital of Bangkok from 21-22 May. The YOG takes place in the Chinese city of Nanjing in August 2014.
The 2015 Asian Youth Athletics Championships event adds to Qatar’s growing programme of sports events. The Gulf nation will be hosting the World Men’s Handball Championship in January and February 2015. The UCI Road World Championships is scheduled to take place in 2016, with a potential shift from September to October due to the climate.
Tag: Athletics
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Doha to host 2015 Asian Youth Athletics Championships
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Mondo becomes Glasgow 2014 sponsor
The Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games announced the appointment of Mondo as the Official Provider of athletic track surface on Wednesday – after the company had already supplied the material for the athletics track surface.
“Not only has Mondo provided the track surface but they are now part of the Glasgow 2014 sponsor family,” a spokesperson for Glasgow 2014 told HOST CITY.
Mondo is also providing specialist sports equipment for the field of play. “As a sponsor, Mondo has been granted exclusive rights to market and associate itself as a sponsor of the Games in connection with athletics sports equipment and track surface manufacture,” the spokesperson said.
Glasgow 2014 declined to comment on the financial terms of the sponsorship or to what extent the value of the sponsorship will offset the cost of laying the track, saying “We cannot comment on the financial arrangements of any sponsorship contracts as this is commercially-sensitive information.”
The running track is the top layer of the major transformation that Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium has undergone to become Glasgow 2014’s athletics venue.
A revolutionary solution has raised the stadium surface by almost two metres, gaining the width and length required for the athletics track. The track has been laid in sections, laying 20 sq m rolls one at a time. Around 14,000 sq m of pre-fabricated and pre-tested Mondo material has been laid inside Hampden Park.
Maurizio Stroppiana, Sport&Flooring General Manager at Mondo said “Glasgow has created a venue that is not only an engineering feat but a world-class example of environmental and social responsibility. Mondo is proud to be part of this achievement.”
A further 6,000sqm has been installed at Lesser Hampden, which will be the main warm-up area for athletes prior to competition.
Mondo supplied athletics track surfaces for the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said “The solution we’re implementing to transform Scotland’s National Stadium is a world-first on such a scale and it’s great to have the quality of track material supplied by Mondo providing a first-class platform for the best athletes of the Commonwealth to shine.”
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IAAF sees Doha’s plans for Athletics City in 2019
The IAAF evaluation commission left Doha on Friday, having completed their inspections of all three cities bidding to host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, having visited competitors Barcelona and Eugene earlier in October.
The IAAF’s group of experts is producing reports evaluating the bids to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships. The host city of the flagship biennial athletics event will be elected at the IAAF council meeting in Monaco on 18 November.
Qatar’s biggest city officially submitted its candidature file to host the Championships on September 25 and is competing against bids from Barcelona and Eugene in the US state of Oregon.
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Dahlan Hamad, the president of the Qatar Athletics Federation, welcomed the evaluation commission, chaired by IAAF Vice-President Sebastian Coe, on Thursday.
The Doha 2019 Bid Committee and its partner, the Aspire Zone presented to the IAAF at Khalifa International Stadium.
“It is an honour to welcome the IAAF Evaluation Commission on their inspection tour of Doha and we hope to demonstrate Doha’s true character as a sporting hub for the region and the world,” said Hamad. “We are committed to continuing our work with the IAAF to develop athletics and ensure a lasting legacy from the World Championships for generations to come.”
Ali Saeid Al Fhaida, acting director of Aspire Logistics, took the Evaluation Commission on a tour of the Aspire Zone’s facilities, which have played host to several international sporting events including the 2006 Asian Games, the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2011 Arab Games.
Doha is also hosting the 2015 Asian Youth Athletics Championships.
The commission also saw the ongoing renovation of the Khalifa International Stadium, where they were greeted by members of the Qatar National Athletics team as well as Russian hurdler and Doha 2019 Ambassador Sergey Shubenkov.
“I am supporting Doha 2019 because I believe that it would inspire a whole new region to participate in athletics,” Shubenkov said.
“The Middle East has never hosted the World Championships before and 60 per cent of this region’s population is under the age of 30. This brings an unrivalled opportunity to showcase athletics and introduce a new generation to track and field.”
Another bid partner, Msheireb Properties, gave a presentation to the commission at its Enrichment Center on Doha’s Corniche waterfront, giving more information about its ambitious plans for an “Athletics City” that would replace the traditional Athletes’ Village concept.
A single, brand-new 35 hectare mixed-use development called Msheireb Downtown Doha, in the heart of the city, will be handed over in its entirety for the dedicated use of the 2019 Championships.
The commission also visited the Qatar National Convention Centre, which would host the IAAF’s Congress in 2019 in the event of Doha overcoming Barcelona and Eugene in its bid to host the World Athletics Championships.
After the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, the IAAF World Championships is the third largest sporting event in the world, with more than 200 participating nations, more than 2,000 athletes and an estimated global TV audience of 6 billion over 200 territories and 9 days of competition.
The next IAAF World Championships will take place in Beijing in 2015 followed by London 2017.
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SportAccord Convention signs IAAF as Bronze Partner
SportAccord Convention announced today that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) had signed up as a Bronze Partner for this year’s World Sport & Business Summit taking place from 19-24 April 2015 at the Sochi Expocentre, Russia.
As part of its sponsorship, the IAAF will be holding a live Kids’ Athletics demonstration on Tuesday, 21st April (12:00-14:00hrs) in front of the Expocentre. Created in 2005, Kids’ Athletics is a worldwide sports development programme with the mission to make Athletics the number one physical activity in schools, and since 2012 has been partnered by “Nestlé Healthy Kids”.
The demonstration event will be attended by IAAF President Lamine Diack and two 800m running greats, Denmark’s 3-time World champion Wilson Kipketer and Russia’s 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy.
“The IAAF is thrilled to be a Bronze Partner for this year’s SportAccord Convention. This is an exciting time for Athletics, the number one Olympic sport, and there is no better opportunity in 2015 to showcase our flagship school/youth programme to leading figures in the world of sport,” said Nick Davies, IAAF Deputy General Secretary and Communications Director.
IAAF / Nestlé Kids’ Athletics, which has now been rolled out to over 130 countries, aims to introduce young people to sport and educate them in a fun way about the lifelong benefits of physical activity.
A year ahead of the Rio Olympic Games and, with the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 taking place in the world famous Bird’s Nest stadium from 22 to 30 August, Athletics is in the spotlight. The IAAF is eager to take that opportunity to showcase its inspiring youth development programme to the world.
Commenting on the Partnership, Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention said: “The Sports Demo Zone is an integral part of the SportAccord Convention and having the support and involvement of the IAAF is significant, as we continue to promote and educate both the youth, and indeed adults, about the benefits of physical activity for health and well-being.”
As part of its Bronze Partner status, the IAAF will also be sponsoring the daily morning runs. On Wednesday, 22nd April, Kipketer and Borzakovskiy will be offering a fortunate group of runners the opportunity to take in the sights by leading them on a short run around the Olympic Park. The aim of the sponsorship is to show that the IAAF is not only about elite performance sport but has a huge role to play to encourage physical activity amongst the wider public.
The International Association of Athletics (IAAF) created in 1912 is the world governing and rule making body for Athletics, the Olympics number one sport. Today the IAAF encompasses track and field, race walking, road, cross country and mountain running. Boasting 213 national Member Federations, it has a global reach greater than that of the United Nations. The biennial IAAF World Championships, whose nine days of competition attract 2000 athletes from over 200 countries and are broadcast to an accumulated 6 billion TV audience worldwide, are the world’s third largest sporting event after the Olympic Games and football’s World Cup.
For further details about the SportAccordConvention World Sport & Business Summit, or to register as a delgate, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.
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IAAF awards Eugene 2021 Champs; EU Athletics slams process
The IAAF awarded its flagship event, the 2021 World Championships, to the US city of Eugene on Wednesday in a surprise move that has provoked condemnation by the governing body of athletics in Europe.
The decision was made at a meeting of the IAAF Council in Beijing, bypassing the usual bidding procedure.
“Although this decision departs from the usual procedure, I am delighted that my Council colleagues understood the enormous opportunity presented to us to access a key market and have taken a decision in the interest of the global development of our sport,” said IAAF president Lamine Diack.
“In granting the championships to Eugene the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again, whereby public authorities, the private sector, the national Olympic Committee, NBC and a particularly enthusiastic public are joining forces.”
The news was greeted with surprise and consternation by European Athletics.
“I would like to congratulate USA Track & Field and Vin Lananna, who has led Eugene’s bid, but I must say I am very surprised by the complete lack of process in the decision the IAAF has taken,” said Svein Arne Hansen, who was elected as president of European Athletics last week.
“The IAAF knew that Gothenburg was a serious candidate for the 2021 World Championships. Swedish Athletics and the city had put in a lot of effort over the years to prepare the bidding application but they have not even been given the chance to bid for the event.
“I have already spoken to Swedish Athletics Federation President Björn Eriksson and he is deeply disappointed about what has happened.
“I completely understand the disappointment of Björn and Göteborg & Co. CEO Camilla Nyman. I know that 2021 was the most important year for the city because it is when they will celebrate their 400th anniversary.
“This type of decision would just not happen within European Athletics as we have a comprehensive bidding process that all candidates must follow.”
Eugene bid for the 2019 Championships and lost out to Doha by just 15 votes to 12 votes, after Doha reportedly promised to raise $37 million for the IAAF from broadcasting and merchandise revenues.
With 2021 going to the USA, this will be the first time a World Championships will be held outside of Europe for two consecutive editions.
“This is, of course, not good for the development of our sport on the continent. European Athletics expects the World Championships to come back to Europe in 2023,” said Hansen.
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European Athletics launches new marketing company
European Athletics, the rights holder for events including the biennial European Athletics Championship, has created a new company to market its activities, through a joint venture with Tridem Sports.
European Athletics Marketing, based in Switzerland, will act as a service company for commercial strategies and sales activities, including sponsor account management and rights delivery.
Its first priority will be to develop the sponsorship programmes of European Athletics’ major events and work with local organising committees to optimise event revenues.
The company will also actively look for partnerships for European Athletics’ other activities and programmes, including the European Athletics Convention, Young Leaders programme and a new “Running for All” initiative to position European Athletics as the natural authority for running on the continent.
The new company is a joint venture with Swiss-based sports marketing agency Tridem Sports. European Athletics is the main shareholder of the new company and will maintain ownership and control of its commercial properties.
“We are confident that this new company will help us create additional values and revenues from our events and activities,” said European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen.
“Tridem brings to the table expertise and know-how in sales, marketing and event implementation, and has the experience in networking and developing relationships with business companies.”
Tridem founder and CEO Christian Pirzer said, “We are pleased about this new joint venture with European Athletics, our first big project outside of winter sports. It will help to develop the commercial programme of athletics in Europe. It is our second joint-venture company with a major Olympic sport after the successful implementation six years ago of FIS Marketing AG with the International Ski Federation.”
The 2016 European Athletics Championships takes place in Amsterdam from 6 to 10 July and tickets are now on sale.
The 2018 European Athletics Championships will take place in Berlin to coincide with swimming, cycling, rowing and triathlon events in Glasgow as part of the 2018 European Sports Championships.
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Seb Coe: presidency gives IAAF chance to renew itself
Sebastian Coe said the IAAF presidential election campaign, through which he received 115 (56 per cent) of the votes of 207 member federations, has created an opportunity for the organisation to renew itself.
Lord Coe will take up the presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) at the close of the IAAF World Championships in Beijing on 31st August.
The second candidate, Sergey Bubka received 92 votes and was elected as vice president.
“I’m very flattered, very, very honoured to have been elected president,” Coe said at a press conference after the election on Wednesday.
“You have a president that will devote himself full-time to the IAAF. It has been a long and hard campaign but it has given us the chance to pause for breath, the chance to review and renew itself,” added Coe.
The presidential election comes at a time of great pressure for the organisation as it faces allegations of widespread doping within the sport.
On 2 August, the Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that IAAF data leaked by a whistleblower showed that a third of medals won in endurance events from 2001 to 2012 were awarded to athletes who had recorded “suspicious” blood tests.
The IAAF dismissed the reports as “sensationalist and confusing”, pointing out that the results did not refer to positive tests, but the questions are still being raised of the federation, with the Sunday Times alleging on 16th August that the IAAF blocked publication of the data.
As an Olympic medallist and former chairman of London 2012 and vice president of the IAAF, Sebastian Coe brings a wealth of experience to the organisation’s leadership.
“We have a man who has devoted his life to the sport,” said outgoing president Lamine Diack, who has held the presidency since 1999.
Coe paid tribute to Diack, saying “Lamine has left us with an extraordinarily strong foundation and one aspect of that foundation is that we are a truly global sport. I will do my best to continue from those firm foundations
“In 2001 and 2002, I sought the advice of Lamine Diack about playing a greater role in the sport and in 2003 I became a Council member. In 2007 I sought his advice again before I became a Vice President.
“It has been an apprenticeship that has helped me understand greater the balances and nuances within the sport.
“I want to thank the (member) federations but I also want to thank those that cover and broadcast our sport. We tend to forget that the media is most potent sponsor of our sport; and I will maintain my chairmanship of the media committee.”
A number of new members were elected to the IAAF Council, including European representatives Jose Maria Odriozola (ESP), Bernard Amsalem (FRA), Sylvia Barlag (NED), Mikhail Butov (RUS), Antti Pihlakoski (FIN), and Anna Riccardi (ITA).
“This has been a good day for European athletics,” said Svein Arne Hansen, president of European Athletics.
“I am very pleased for all the European representatives elected to the IAAF Council. I call on them to work hard and cooperate with the members from the rest of the world for the good of our sport.
“There are a lot of urgent issues to address over the coming years, including the integrity of the sport, our competition programme and development.”
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IOC suspends former IAAF president Lamine Diack
The IOC Executive Board on Tuesday suspended the honorary IOC membership of Lamine Diack, former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) following the publication of a World Anti-Doping Report on Monday.
“The Independent Commission’s Report contains a series of findings that will shock and appal athletes and sports fans worldwide, and indeed many issues that highlight very current deficiencies with the anti-doping system in Russia,” said WADA President and IOC Vice President Sir Craig Reedie on Monday, during Host City 2015 conference in Glasgow.
Following the publication of the report, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was “closely monitoring the situation” and expects the IAAF and WADA to “consider all necessary action to be taken to protect the clean athletes and rebuild trust”.
The IOC’s Executive Board on Tuesday confirmed the proposal of the IOC Ethics Commission to provisionally suspend Mr. Lamine Diack, the former President of IAAF, from his honorary membership of the IOC.
In a statement, the IOC said it has asked the IAAF to initiate disciplinary procedures against all athletes, coaches and officials who have participated in the Olympic Games and are accused of doping in the report of the Independent Commission.
“With its zero-tolerance policy against doping, following the conclusion of this procedure, the IOC will take all the necessary measures and sanctions with regard to the withdrawal and reallocation of medals and as the case may be exclusion of coaches and officials from future Olympic Games,” the statement said.
The news follows WADA’s suspension of its accreditation of the Moscow Antidoping Center. The laboratory is now restricted from carrying out any WADA-related anti-doping activities including all analyses of urine and blood samples.
The IOC said it has no reason to question the credibility of the results of the anti-doping tests carried out at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, but will retain all the doping samples for ten years and retest samples “in an appropriate way should substantial doubts arise. In any case, the IOC may retest samples once new scientific techniques become available”.
“While the contents of the Report are deeply disturbing, the investigation is hugely positive for the clean athlete as it contains significant recommendations for how WADA and its partners in the anti-doping community can, and must, take swift corrective action to ensure anti-doping programs of the highest order are in place across the board,” said Sir Craig Reedie.
“WADA is fully committed in its role of leading the charge to protect the rights of clean athletes worldwide.”
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WADA president takes tough action on doping
WADA president and IOC Vice President Sir Craig Reedie CBE on Wednesday asserted he is taking quick and strong action in response to evidence of widespread doping in athletics.
In an editorial published in the Independent, he said “There have been critics of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and critics of me, and first and foremost I don’t want people to think I’m too political or too soft.
“I can categorically state I have not been soft on Russia. It was me as president of WADA that agreed with several national anti-doping organisations to create an independent commission to look into the subject of doping in Russia, the results of which we saw in all its damning detail in Geneva on Monday.”
Speaking to press at Host City 2015 on Monday, Reedie said WADA was responding to calls to be tougher.
“I think the world will want us to be much stricter and aggressive in saying whether people are compliant or not.”
The independent report revealed that officials at a WADA accredited drug testing laboratory in Moscow destroyed 1,417 samples and accepted bribes to cover up positive tests.
“It’s quite clear that that was organised between a laboratory, a national anti-doping association, almost certainly a national athletics association – three different organisations combining to beat the system.”
WADA reacted immediately by provisionally suspending the laboratory’s accreditation.
“We have responsibility for the Russian anti-doping agency and its state of compliance – quite clearly it is not compliant at the moment – we can deal with that.
“As far as the national athletics federation in Russia is concerned, that is the responsibility of the IAAF and their responsibility under the code is to make sure that the national federations are code-compliant. We will clearly work with the IAAF as closely as they want us to and as we are able to resolve this issue.”
Asked by press at Host City 2015 whether the IAAF leadership was able to handle the crisis, he said “I think the allegations of people at the top end of the IAAF are intensely regrettable. They have done the sport in my view great damage.
“This is a newly elected council, a new president. And yes I think the new leadership can do it. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to involve a great deal of effort, but we will help them as best we can.”
Responding to a question from Host City magazine about whether athletes are in some cases victims, he said: “My experience is that very few drug cheats do it themselves; they almost always have somebody else. So I am very happy with the principle that we deal with the athlete’s entourage; the rules also say that we deal with the athlete.
“But I agree with you; if you coaches and people who are administering drugs to athletes then they are in many ways more guilty than the athletes themselves.”
Reedie told Host City how WADA has become stronger under his leadership.
“We greatly strengthened the new 2015 code by specifically targeting the athletes’ entourage. Secondly we created an offence called ‘prohibited association’, so if an athlete is associating with a known member of the entourage who has been convicted of a doping offence then the athlete shouldn’t be there.
“We have produced a list and that’s now current. If any of the officials mentioned in the Pound report are sanctioned they will immediately be put on that list.”
The next phase of the WADA-commissioned report will investigate allegations beyond Russia.
“Is there a sense that things could get worse before they get better? Quite possibly. We still await further revelations from the commission and, because of its independence, I genuinely have no idea what those revelations will be,” Reedie wrote in the Independent.
“At the end of the day, I think good will come out of evil,” he told press at Host City 2015.
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Olympic Stadium gets new surface
From 6 to 10 July 2016, Amsterdam’s venerable Olympic Stadium will host the 23rd European Athletics Championships – the first time the event has been held in the Netherlands.
Around 1,300 athletes from 50 countries will be there for the launch. As this international sports meeting will be held immediately before the Olympic Games in Rio, the programme has been reduced from the usual 47 disciplines to just 42. The marathons and the walking races will not take place.
The running track was given a new synthetic surface from Polytan in June 2015 in order to prepare the best possible surface for peak performances by all the other track and field athletes. The premium Polytan PUR coating in brick red – a standard Polytan colour – was chosen.
The surface in Amsterdam is 17 mm thick and complies with the requirements of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), making it suitable for international competitions with officially recognised personal bests and records.
The first “litmus test” for the new synthetic surface from Polytan was the national Dutch Athletics Championships in July 2015 – immediately after its installation – and the important “IAAF Class 1” certification of the stadium.
The facility is unusual in that the water jump for the steeplechase is the outside of the running track. This means that more events can be held simultaneously than is normally the case.
Gold medal for sports architecture
Now a listed monument, the stadium was built in the Stadionbuurt district of Amsterdam for the Summer Olympics in 1928. It was designed by the Dutch architect Jan Wils, who was awarded a gold medal for the building in the art competition held as part of the Games.
Historically speaking, the stadium belongs to the “Amsterdam School” of architecture, the famous Dutch classic Modern style, which is also described as Brick Expressionism.
The competition arena has a closed brick facade on the outside that looks neither dark nor heavy in spite of its large size. This is down to the varied division of the external envelope – a characteristic feature of this architectural style.
In contrast to the facade, the only thing visible inside the stadium is the reinforced concrete frame in the style of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, which was popular at the time.
A narrow tower on which the first ever Olympic flame was set alight marks the main entrance. It was and still is the ground’s emblem.
Restoration to glory
The stadium was heavily used in the decades following the Olympic Games – it was the home ground of the well-known football club Ajax Amsterdam for a long time, for instance. It deteriorated visibly during the 1990s, however, until expensive renovations breathed new life into it from 1996 onwards.
The stadium was restored as far as possible to its original condition, with the demolition of a grandstand extension dating back to 1937. Numerous sporting and cultural events are held there now and it is the base of Amsterdam athletics club Phanos.
Polytan PUR – the faster surface
By opting for the Polytan PUR sports surface, the organisers in Amsterdam decided on a water-impermeable, extremely durable solid synthetic surface consisting of a continuous blend of PUR and elastic rubber granules all the way from the base to the top layer. Polytan employees used the in-situ construction method to install it directly on site.
Not only does the solid structure make the surface extremely durable, it also greatly enhances the tread elasticity of athletes and thus their acceleration. The track is significantly faster than conventional multi-layered synthetic surfaces. In addition, the top layer of the sports surface is interspersed with EPDM granules, which means that it is suitable for sports shoes with spikes.
This article was contributed by Polytan. For more information visit www.polytan.com